Airborne Airpark
Encyclopedia
Airborne Airpark is a public-use airport
located two nautical miles (3.7 km) southeast of the central business district
of Wilmington
, a city in Clinton County
, Ohio
, United States
. While DHL
had privately owned the property while operating from the facility, the company agreed to donate the property to the Clinton County Port Authority.
The airport was formerly known as Clinton County Air Force Base
.
was built in 1930. The landing strip was approved by the Civil Works Administration
in 1933. In 1940, the Civil Aeronautics Authority took control of Wilmington Airport for use as an emergency landing field. In 1942, the Army Air Corps
took over the airport, renaming it Clinton County Army Air Field. The base was decommissioned in 1972 and the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) began developing the area as the Wilmington Industrial Air Park (WIAP). It also became home to the Great Oaks Joint Vocation School. In 1977, the Southern State Community College opened, using old barracks buildings as classrooms. In 1980, Midwest Air Charter was acquired by Airborne Freight Corporation, resulting in Airborne Express
, which became the largest tenant at WIAP and resulted in the airfield being named Airborne Airpark.
In 2003, as part of the merger of DHL
and Airborne, DHL kept Airborne's ground operations and spun off its air operations as ABX Air
. The facility, sometimes referred to as ABX Airpark, was a major sorting center for package delivery service DHL Express
between 2005 and the sorting center's closing in July, 2009, following then Deutsche Post
-owned DHL's cessation of US domestic delivery services.
of 1,077 feet (328 m) above mean sea level. It has two concrete
surfaced runway
s: 4L/22R is 10,701 by 150 feet (3,262 x 46 m) and 4R/22L is 9,000 by 150 feet (2,743 x 46 m).
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 71,000 aircraft operations, an average of 194 per day: 96% scheduled commercial
and 4% general aviation
.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located two nautical miles (3.7 km) southeast of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Wilmington
Wilmington, Ohio
Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,520 at the 2010 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways, the city slogan of "We Honor Our Champions" is seen, accompanied by signs that highlight various...
, a city in Clinton County
Clinton County, Ohio
Clinton County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 42,040. The 2008 Census Population Estimate places the figure at 43,200. It is named for former U.S. Vice-President George Clinton...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. While DHL
DHL
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
had privately owned the property while operating from the facility, the company agreed to donate the property to the Clinton County Port Authority.
The airport was formerly known as Clinton County Air Force Base
Clinton County Air Force Base
Clinton County Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located two nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Wilmington, a city in Clinton County, Ohio, United States.-History:...
.
History
The airport opened in 1929 and a small hangarHangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
was built in 1930. The landing strip was approved by the Civil Works Administration
Civil Works Administration
The Civil Works Administration was established by the New Deal during the Great Depression to create manual labor jobs for millions of unemployed. The jobs were merely temporary, for the duration of the hard winter. Harry L. Hopkins was put in charge of the organization. President Franklin D...
in 1933. In 1940, the Civil Aeronautics Authority took control of Wilmington Airport for use as an emergency landing field. In 1942, the Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
took over the airport, renaming it Clinton County Army Air Field. The base was decommissioned in 1972 and the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) began developing the area as the Wilmington Industrial Air Park (WIAP). It also became home to the Great Oaks Joint Vocation School. In 1977, the Southern State Community College opened, using old barracks buildings as classrooms. In 1980, Midwest Air Charter was acquired by Airborne Freight Corporation, resulting in Airborne Express
Airborne Express
Airborne Express was an express delivery company and cargo airline. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, its hub was at Wilmington, Ohio.Airborne was founded as the Airborne Flower Traffic Association of California in 1946 to fly flowers from the state of Hawaii to US Mainland.Airborne Express...
, which became the largest tenant at WIAP and resulted in the airfield being named Airborne Airpark.
In 2003, as part of the merger of DHL
DHL
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
and Airborne, DHL kept Airborne's ground operations and spun off its air operations as ABX Air
ABX Air
ABX Air, Inc., formerly Airborne Express, is a cargo airline headquartered at Wilmington Air Park in unincorporated Clinton County, Ohio, United States, near the City of Wilmington. ABX Air operates scheduled, ad hoc charter and ACMI freight services. It also provides flight support services and...
. The facility, sometimes referred to as ABX Airpark, was a major sorting center for package delivery service DHL Express
DHL Express
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
between 2005 and the sorting center's closing in July, 2009, following then Deutsche Post
Deutsche Post
Deutsche Post AG, operating under the trade name Deutsche Post DHL, is the world's largest logistics group. With its headquarters in Bonn, the corporation has 467,088 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide and generated revenue of € 51.48 billion in 2010...
-owned DHL's cessation of US domestic delivery services.
Facilities and aircraft
Airborne Airpark covers an area of 2000 acres (809.4 ha) at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 1,077 feet (328 m) above mean sea level. It has two concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
surfaced runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s: 4L/22R is 10,701 by 150 feet (3,262 x 46 m) and 4R/22L is 9,000 by 150 feet (2,743 x 46 m).
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 71,000 aircraft operations, an average of 194 per day: 96% scheduled commercial
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
and 4% general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
.